Apparatus for the manufacture of sheet-glass.



. A PATBNTED NOV. 1903. w. A. ZPAGE & E. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEET GLASS.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1903.

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INVENTORS 1?? A fiv ff jg} Noams vrrgns no. vuoroU'ma, wAsnhmmu a c No.742,899. 7 PATENTBD NOV. 3, 1903 W. A. PAGE & F. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEET GLASS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9.190a.

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No. 742,899. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903. W. A. PAGE & F, L. 0. WADS-WORTH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEET GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENT 1 OFFIC WILLIAM A. PAGE, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, AND FRANKL. O. WVADSWORTH, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO PRESSED PRISMPLATE GLASS COMPANY, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WESTVIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEET-GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,899, dated November3, 1903.

Application filed June 9,1903. Serial No. 160,698, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. PAGE, of Morgantown, Monongahelacounty,West Virginia, and FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH, of Allegheny,Alleghenycounty, Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and useful Apparatus for theManufacture of Sheet-Glass, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description,

reference being had to the accompanying 1o drawings, forming part ofthis specification,

in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one form of apparatusconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewI 5 of the same, partly broken away; and Figs.

3 and 4 are respectively a partial cross-section and a partiallongitudinal section on a larger scale.

Our invention relates to the making of sheet-glass by rolling, and isdesigned to provide an improved apparatus for rolling such glass,whether plain or figured, on one:or both sides.

In the drawings, 2 represents a supportingframe, which we have shown asmounted on wheels 3. The side members 4 4 of the frame are provided withtracks or slideways, in which slide the shoes 5 at the sides of themoving table 6. This table is hollow and is provided at its top with aseries of small perforations leading downwardly into the cavity 7. Avacuum-pump is connected to the interior of the table by means of a pipe8, having a three-way cock 9 and leading to a pair of stationary branchpipes 10, which project through the end of the table and through arectangular cross-head 11, which fits within the cavity 7 and isprovided with suitable packings 12.

The glass-forming rollers 13 and 14 are mounted on shafts 15 and 16. ofroller 14 is carried in fixed bearings 17 17, attached to the frame ofthe machine. The larger roller 13 is hollow and rotates on its 5 shaft15,which is also hollow, and is connected at one end with a pipe 18,having jointed connection with an exhaust-pipe 19, also leading to thevacuum-pump. Within this cylinder The shaft 16.

the shaft is surrounded by sleeve 20, having radial partitions 21,forming a vacuumchamber 22, the partitions-bearing against the innersurface of the rollers and having longitudinal packings 23 and endcircumferential packings 23'. The roll is provided with smallperforations 24, which lead to its interior, and the sleeve and shaft towhich it is attached are prevented from rotating by the connectionat'the ends with links 25 25, pivoted to the side members of the frame.Holes 26 extend through the hollow shaft and the sleeve within thecylinder and lead into the vacuum-chamber between the partitions.Attached to one end of the larger roller is a toothed wheel 27, whichintermeshes with a toothed wheel 28, carried on a stub-shaft 29, mountedin a pivotal link 30, having loose engagement with a pin 30, projectingfrom the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 4. This link is pivotedon the axle of the roller and may be adjusted by moving the slot overthe pin and then clamping it by any desirable form of clamping means.This stub-shaft is provided with an operatingcrank 31, and its wheel 28intermeshes in turn with a toothed wheel 32 on a stub-shaft 33, mountedon the frame. The stub-shaft 33 is provided with a second toothed wheel34, intermeshing with a rack 35, secured to the side of the table.Another toothed wheel 34', similar to the wheel 34, is mounted on astub-shaft in the frame at the other side and intermeshes with a similarrack 35. The axes of the wheels 34 34 are in line and the wheelsthemselves intermesh with pinions 37 37 upon a shaft carrying a roller38, arranged to hold the glass against the large roller. Another roller39 is used for this same purpose, which roller is driven by a pinion 40at one end intermeshing with wheel 34. Wheel 34 also intermeshes with awheel 41, keyed to the shaft of the roller 14. The pitch-diameters ofthewheels 27, 32, 34, 37, 40, and 41 are such that when the driving-wheel28 of the system is turned the rollers 13, 14, 38, and 39 and the table6 move together in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1

and 4: at the same peripheral speed. The relative distance between thesurface of the roller 13 and the rollers 14, 38, and 39 may be adjustedby means of swinging links 25 and the adjustable link 30. A hopper 42 isprovided above the rollers to receive the glass, the ends of the hopper,which are constituted by the bearings 17, forming cheek pieces whichbear against the ends of the rollers 13, 14, 38, and 39 and also receiveand support the shafts above referred to.

In using the apparatus the plastic glass is fed into the hopper betweenthe two main rollers, and as the crank 31 is actuated the glass isrolled downwardly into sheet form. At the same time the valves leadingfrom the chambers 22 and 7 are opened and the air rapidly exhaustedtherefrom by means of the vacuum-pu mp. As the sheet is fed down it isheld to the surface of the large roller by the pressing-rollers 38 and39 and also by the positive air-pressure exerted over its entire surfaceof contact with the segmental chamher of the larger roller, due to thesuction within the segmental chamber. The pressing-rollers 38 and 39revolve at substantially the same surface speed as the surface of theglass, so that the glass is not subject to frictional retardation eitherby the pressure exerted by these rollers or by the pressure exerted uponit by the suction in the segmental chamber. When the glass sheet reachesthe table, it passes beyond the suction-chamber of the roller and ispressed by the roller upon the top of the table, which is moving forwardat the same speed as the peripheral speed of the rollers. If the smallerforming-roller is figured, the table is correspondingly figured and soadjusted in position that as the figured face of the sheet is presseddown upon the table it'fits thereon as the table moves forward. Theglass is held down upon the table by the suction within the chamber infront of the cross-head. The sheet therefore is formed by rolling itbetween the rollers and holding it in contact with one of them untilpartially set, and it is then transferred to a table which has the samecontour as one of the rollers. The sheet is then held in contact withthe table until it is set in final form.

The means which we employ for holding the glass positively to the rolleracts without retardation or friction on the outer face of the glass, andthus accomplishes the desired result Without injury to the glass.Stationary smoothing-blocks fixed in proximity to the roller and bearingon the outer face of the sheet would exert a frictional retarding forceon the glass and would not accomplish our purpose. To therefore disclaimthe use of such stationary blocks.

The advantages of our invention result from the forming of both sides ofthe sheet by rollers, the preservation of the formed surface byretaining it in contact with one of the forming-rollers until it haspartially set, and the final transfer and pressing of the formed sheetupon a traveling table. The glass is held upon the table until finallyset, so that there is no liability of its changing its form orcontour.Sheetsof'glasshavingbrightand polished surfaces on both sides and witheither plain or figured contour of sharp and accurate outline can beproduced.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the deviceWithout departing from our invention.

We claim-- 1. Apparatus for making glass sheets, comprising a pair ofrollers arranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, means actingwithout sliding friction on the glass at its place of contact therewithfor applying positive pressure over an extended surface of the glass tohold the glass in contact with one of the rollers while it is acquiringa set, and a table to which the glass is transferred; substantially asdescribed.

2. Apparatus for making glass sheets comprising a pair of rollersarranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, means acting withoutsliding friction on the glass at its place of contact with the glass forapplying a positive pressure to hold the sheet in contact with thesurface of one of the rollers while it is acquiring a set,-and atraveling table arranged to receive and carry away the sheet from theroller; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus. for making sheet glass figured on one side, comprising apair of rollers arranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, oneof said rollers being figured, means for applying a positive pressure tohold the sheet in contact with the surface of the figured roller, and atable to which the glass is transferred, said table having a similarconfiguration to that of the figured roller; substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for making glass sheets, comprising a pair of rollersarranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, means for applying apositive pressure to hold the sheet in contact with the surface of oneof the rollers while it is acquiringa set, a table to which the sheet istransferred, said table having the same cross-sectional contour as oneof the rollers, and mechanism for forcing the sheet against the table;substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for forming sheet-glass comprising a pair of rollersarranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, means for Withdrawingthe air or gases from between the glass sheet and the portion of one ofthe rollers with which it contacts, and a table to which the sheet istransferred, said table having the same surface contour as one of therollers; substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for forming sheet-glass comprising a pair of rollersarranged to shape a mass of glass into sheet form, one of said rollersbeing hollow and perforated, and means for forming a partial vacuumwithin at least a part of said roller; substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for forming sheet-glass comprising a pair of rollers, oneof said rollers being perforated, mechanism for forming a partial vacuumwithin said roller through a part ofits circumference,and means forpressing the glass sheet against the perforated roller through suchportion of the circumference; substantially as described.

8. Apparatus for forming sheet-glass comprising a pair of rollers, oneof which is hollowand perforated, means for forming a partial vacuumWithin the perforated roller through a portion of its circumference, a

traveling table arranged to receive the glass sheet, and mechanism forforcing the glass sheet against said table; substantially as described.

9. Apparatus for forming sheet-glass comprising a pair of rollers, oneof which is hollow and perforated, means for forming a partial vacuumwithin the perforated roller through a portion of its circumference, atraveling table arranged to receive the glass, said table beingperforated, and means for forming a partial vacuum to produce a suctionwithin the perforations; substantially as described.

10. Apparatus for forming glass articles comprising forming-surfaces,means for pressing the glass between said surfaces, and means forcreating a vacuum between one of the compressing surfaces and the glass;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM A. PAGE. F. L. O. 'WADSWORTH.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, JOHN MILLER.

